


Rotten Crystal

by Alices_notebook



Category: Scooby Doo - All Media Types, Scooby Doo! Mystery Incorporated (Cartoon 2010)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Time Skips
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 14:47:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29191038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alices_notebook/pseuds/Alices_notebook
Summary: When zombie mysteriously overtake Crystal Cove, the members of Mystery Inc. flee to safety. Years later, Velma feels compelled to return to their old home, in search of something— or someone— she left behind.New chapters every Tuesday. Let me know what you think in the comments!
Relationships: Daphne Blake/Fred Jones, Velma Dinkley/Norville "Shaggy" Rogers
Comments: 17
Kudos: 11





	1. Beginnings — Shaggy

Shaggy remembered when the monsters weren’t real. Back when he was what... sixteen? He and his friends would round them all up with some silly contraptions, tear the silicone face off of some old kook, send him to prison and bam. Another mystery bites the dust. 

But there really wasn’t any mystery to be solved. There was nothing mysterious to the hoards that has flooded the streets, moaning and wailing for human flesh. No the only word for that was sheer unbridled terror. 

Shaggy stood near the edge of the cliff overlooking Crystal Cove. Below him, his old home rotted in the dark. Craning his neck, Shaggy realized that the usual flood of undead had tricked off the streets. This could be his chance. 

—————————

Shaggy darted from shadow to shadow, eyes flicking constantly left to right, watching for any sudden movements. His eyes halted their endless dance only once, briefly, to linger on a familiar green and blue van. It had been parked there in front of City Hall for almost five years now. The tires hung lamely off the axels, and a red smattering of rust was beginning to eat away at the metal paneling. 

Despite it all, the Mystery Machine was a sight for sore eyes. Forgetting himself, Shaggy stepped into the moonlight and traced a finger over the petals of a corroding orange flower. 

It was amazingly idiotic, to waltz into the open. Shaggy knew that. But as he circled the old van, trying to drink in every minute detail, he knew that he may never see it again. As his lap around the Mystery Machine came to an end, Shaggy lingered at those familiar rear doors than he and Scooby had so often clambered through without thought. 

One last time, he promised himself, Just for old times sake. 

Shaggy swung the door as if it were made of glass. He sucked in a sharp breath an sat down. He was home. He closed his eyes and he could almost feel the gentle jostling of the van in motion. He could just barely hear Velma typing away at her keyboard, and smell the ghostly remnants of Daphne’s perfume. 

But, as Shaggy opened his eyes. It was all just memories. Sweet nothings. There was no going back there now. 

But as his eyes slid shut once again, he could pretend.

—————————

It was a sunny Friday afternoon, the gang was piled into the Mystery Machine, all of them slouched and sleepy, and ready to kick back for a few days. Well, except for Velma, who was sitting straight as a plank her fingers drummed frenetically against the dashboard. 

“Did anyone get C for that last question?” She questioned, “because I put down D, but now that I think about it, I may have gotten cellular respiration confused with—“ 

“Like dude, we just took two three-hour tests!” Shaggy moaned, “the last thing I wanna do right now is like, relive the whole thing!” 

“Hey gang!” Fred piped up, “How about we stop by Clam Cabin? I’m sure that’ll get some of our energy back.” 

“Like, you know Scoob and I’ll never say no to the Clam Cabin! Right, Scoob?” 

Scooby nodded feverishly, “Right Raggy!” 

As they pulled up to the beach, something was off right away. 

“Where are all the tourists?” Daphne questioned, “the beginning of June is normally peak tourist time!” 

“Strange,” Velma craned her neck to get a better look at the beach, “my parent’s shop has had some of their best sales numbers of all time this week, so there are plenty of tourists in Crystal Cove, the question is, what’s keeping them away from the beach?” 

As soon as Fred swung open the door to the Mystery Machine, Velma got her answer. Stench. The putrid stench of eggs boiled in year-old gravy flooded then van. 

Daphne gagged on the rotten air, “Fred!” She rasped, “Close the door!” 

Fred obliged, slamming the door shut and turning up the AC in an attempt to get some fresh air. The five of them sat panting for a while, trying desperately to clear their airways of that stink. 

“Well at least we know what’s keeping the tourist away!” Daphne clapped her hands matter-of-factly, “now let’s get out of here! Seriously Freddy, drive.” 

But as Fred put the van in reverse, Shaggy shot up. 

“Like Fred wait!” Shaggy cried. Fred slammed on the breaks, tossing Daphne back with a soft thud. The gang turned to him expectantly.

“Like, can Scooby and I at least grab some clams before we leave?” Shaggy asked sheepishly.

And then next moment they were out on the beach, sprinting towards the Cabin while also trying their damnedest not to breath. It was a miracle their hearts didn’t implode. 

As they reached the counter, the owner of the Clam Cabin, Skipper Shelton, was nowhere to be seen. Feeling as if his lungs were about to pop like balloons, Shaggy hurriedly ran the bell on the counter. This did the trick as Shaggy and Scooby noticed a figure, just hidden by the shadows, meandering towards the counter. 

Finally out of air, Shaggy gasped, “Like hurry up, Skipper, dude we’re like dying out here!” 

It was then that the figure stepped into the light, revealing itself to be a—

“Ruh-ruh ROMBIE!” 

“Like, run Scoob!” 

The pair made a mad dash for the van, practically diving into its doors. 

“Like, Daphne was right before!” Shaggy squeaked, “Like, drive Freddy! Drive!” 

As Fred obliged, Daphne and Velma turned to face their cowering counterparts. 

“Jeepers!” Daphne gasped, “what did you two see out there?” 

“Rombie!” Scooby whimpered, “Rombie!!” 

“Oh please!” Velma waved her hand dismissively, “we’ve dealt with zombies before, what’s the big fuss?” 

Shaggy shook his head, “Like dude, I don’t care how many times I see one! A rotten, flesh-eating, angry monster, will always be freaky!” 

“Oh lighten up you two!” Daphne grinned, “don’t you know what this means?” 

“We call the police and let them do their job for once?” Shaggy pleaded.

“No, that’s crazy!” Fred laughed, “Means we have a mystery to solve.” 

“Like, I was afraid you were going to say that!”

—————————

Shaggy opened his eyes. And took a deep shuddering breath. The air had never stopped smelling rancid, but you got used to it after a while. He ran a hand through his hair and worked a knot out of his shoulders. He took a final glance at the interior of the Mystery Machine, and stepped back into the night. Into the shadows. Away from home.


	2. Biscotti — Shaggy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Shaggy and Velma eat biscotti

Shaggy continued to plod along, darting from alley to shadow, to corner, any place he could stay out of the deadly bright moonlight. His eyes continued their never ending sweep of their surroundings. Left, right, left right. Under different circumstances, it would have been hypnotic. 

Left, right, left, right, left— what was that?!

Shaggy froze, he’d heard something. He knew he had. Holding his breath and straining his ears against the distant sound of waves, Shaggy waited.

Snap!

Shaggy jumped, snapping towards the direction he’d heard the sound. 

Snap!

It was getting closer. Still not sure what he was dealing with, but ready to get the hell out of there, Shaggy relied on the one thing he had truly mastered. Running like hell. 

When heard the familiar wails and moans, Shaggy new he had made the right call. There were zombies, at least two on his tail. Not a problem for such a professional at running away like himself. But zombies always attract more zombies: he only had a few seconds before he’d be dealing with a whole hoard. 

Feet hammering against the pavement, Shaggy saw his goal in sight. The Broken Spine, the Dinkley’s gift shop, only two blocks away. Sprinting for his life, Shaggy saw a new swath of zombies, flooding onto the street from an alley, and joining in his pursuit. 

He could feel their hands, groping to grab a loose piece of fabric or swiping at his shoulders. Their screams were a hellish cacophony in his ears, and the stench was back in full swing. 

Finally within range of the Broken Spine, Shaggy made a beeline for the doorknob. As he swung the door closed, a few stray arms clawed at Shaggy, reaching blindly for him. Bracing himself, Shaggy knew what to do. Zombies were brittle. And as Shaggy threw all his strength into slamming the door shut, the sickening crunch of shattering bones and tearing flesh rang out. Shaggy had almost closed the door. But in one single last act of defiance, a pale slender hand with fingernails like iron slashed at Shaggy’s face. 

Pain blossomed out from the bridge of Shaggy’s nose, but despite the scratch, Shaggy managed to slam the door shut. He looked away, cringing at the sounds of dismembered arms falling from the doorframe onto the cold marble floor.

Shaggy pressed the back of his hand onto the bridge of his nose, and felt his stomach turn to lead when he saw the back of his hand entirely covered in blood. 

—————————

The cold LED light in the bathroom of the Broken Spine burned at Shaggy’s corneas as he did his best to assess the damage. It had stopped bleeding ten minutes ago, but Shaggy couldn’t quite convince himself that he was ok, what if he’d been infected? Shaggy’s leaden stomach leaped to his throat. 

Shaggy groaned, massaging the back of his neck as he stared pensively at his reflection. If he had been infected, there was nothing he could do anyway. 

Shaggy’s footsteps echoed as he stepped back into the Broken Spine. It was time to find what he’d come here for. Velma’s family had everything on all things supernatural. If Shaggy couldn’t find information on zombies here, then he wouldn’t find it anywhere.

He turned towards the massive array of bookshelves, ready to start his search. But then his stomach let out an unearthly yowl. Food. Shaggy hadn’t eaten for days, and he knew for a fact that if he looked under the coffee bar in the cafe section of the Broken Spine, he’d find a jar of—

“Biscotti!” Shaggy sighed in relief, his voice cracked and raspy from underuse. 

With a sudden vigor, Shaggy twisted off the lid and plucked three individually wrapped pieces of biscotti bread. The cellophane crackled at his fingers as he tore apart the wrapper on his first piece. 

Shaggy had to gnaw at the biscotti, chomping down on it with all his might until finally a piece broke of and fell onto his mouth. As the stale almond flavor hit his tongue, a memory suddenly shot to the forefront of his head. Shaggy took a second bite just as he let himself drift into his mind.

—————————

It was the Fourth of July, but there were no fireworks, no crowds, no parade. The Mayor had decided that it wasn’t safe. Not with those two Zombies on the loose. So, instead of fireworks and a parade, Shaggy sat across from Velma, watching as she expertly dunked a chunk of biscotti into her coffee, before popping it into her mouth. 

Shaggy slouched, staring at his warped reflection in the cup of coffee in front of him . 

Velma put her mug down and slid her glasses up her nose. “You’re doing it again.” 

“Like, doing what dude?” 

Velma shifted her posture to an exaggerated slouch, and put on her best Shaggy impression, “Like, I’m Shaggy,” she said with a wry smile, “and I get all slouchy and weirdly unenthusiastic about food when I’m upset.” 

Shaggy held up a finger to protest, but then he looked down at his posture, and the oddly full, plate of sweets in front of him. He put his finger down and squinted at Velma with a cheeky grin, “touché,” he ceded, “touché.”

“What are you so worried about anyway?” Velma questioned with a smile. 

“Like, man dunno,” Shaggy shrugged, “I guess this whole zombie thing has me a bit weirded out.” 

“How so?” Velma asked while snatching a croissant from Shaggy’s plate. 

“Like, I dunno,” Shaggy ran his fingers through his hair mindlessly, “The fact that the Mayor is like, taking this seriously is crazy... I mean think about it, reeeaally think about it. Fourth of July is like, the town’s most reliable moneymaker, and when have you ever seen the Mayor Like, put civilian safety over tourism?” 

Velma didn’t say anything for a while, she pursed her lips together and drummed her fingers against the counter a rapid speed. 

“You, know Shaggy,” she broke the silence after a while, “I think you might be onto something here.” 

Shaggy was sure his heart skipped a beat, “Like, really? You think so?” 

“Yes! We should look into this.” Velma excitedly grabbed Shaggy’s wrist, “c’mon! We’ll start in the store’s zombie archive!” 

—————————

Shaggy swallowed the stale Biscotti, but that wasn’t the reason for the sudden dryness in his throat. He looked down at his wrist. A small tentative smile creeped across his lips. But as quickly as it appeared, it was gone.

Shaggy stood up and stretched. Trying to shake the memory from his mind. It didn’t matter what happened back then. That was a lifetime ago, and Velma was gone. They all were. 

He dragged his feet to the end of the array, there were werewolves... witches... zombie!

Shaggy flipped the book over to read the title: An Anthology of European Literature on Zombies. He’d read this one before, about ten times. But, any starting point is better than none, so Shaggy opened the book, and got to work.


	3. Big Changes — Shaggy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zombies on the loose ought to make some people nervous. And with those nerves come some big changes.

It didn't take long for Shaggy's eyes to glaze over. He couldn't help it. He was no good at this stuff. He never understood how Velma or Fred— hell even Daphne, could bury their nose into a book and just read, and read and read. A few sentences into the forward and Shaggy was ready for a break.

Maybe he didn't have to read the whole thing, Shaggy rationalized as he flipped to the table of contents, just the stuff about cures, about eradicating the disease. Just the stuff that would make it all go back to normal.

That's all he really wanted.

Shaggy closed the book. He put it carefully back in it's place on the shelf. He wanted to be sure the place stayed exactly as the Dinkleys had left it. It was all he had left of his old life. All that hadn't been destroyed, infected, or had left him behind anyways.

Shaggy pulled his fingers through a knot in his hair. That was when he knew this was serious... when people started to leave him behind. That was when he knew, that this was going to be bad.

—

The gang were huddled around a table at the Broken Spine. Mulling over everything Velma had found on Zombies. There was a small radio perched into the center of the radio, tuned into their favorite station, k-ghoul. As the last notes of some kitschy pop song faded out, the voice of Angel Dynamite crackled through the speakers.

Hey babies she purred, We'll get back to our regularly scheduled music in a bit, but first, here are some important updates about this current zombie outbreak.

"Ugh," Daphne groaned, "Things are depressing enough without—"

"Shhh!" Commanded Velma , "Daph I'm trying to listen!"

Velma turned the volume dial up slightly, leaning in towards the radio pensively.

Now, Angel continued on, Looking outwards: the first cases of zombification outside of Crystal Cove has been reported. There have been three reported cases from Gatorsburg. And lastly babies, I have news on friend of the station, and mayor's son, Fred Jones.

The gang bristled at the mention of their leader's name. Daphne, reached for the volume dial, but before she could reach it, Fred yanked the radio's electrical cord out of the wall.

"Like, Freddy! What'd you do that for?" Shaggy asked, perhaps a little peeved.

"Oh no reason," Fred dropped the chord to the ground, scratching the nape of his neck nervously, "just, never liked hearing about myself on the news is all."

Shaggy and Velma exchanged inquisitive looks.

"You sure, Fred?" Velma questioned, crossing her arms.

Fred didn't respond, instead he began to walk towards a different isle of books, "Say Velma, while I'm here you got any books on traps? I love to see those."

The gang stared after Fred, who was rocking back and forth on his heels, an odd half-smile across his face.

"Answer Velma's question, Fred," Daphne demanded through clenched teeth.

Fred looked from Daphne to Shaggy to Scooby to Velma, and sighed, "My dad's making me leave Crystal Cove."

"He WHAT?!" Daphne shrieked, "Freddie, why would he—?"

Fred looked away from the gang. He shoved his hands awkwardly into his pockets and shrugged. They all stared at Fred, no clue what to say.

"It's because of the zombies, isn't it?" Velma finally piped up, "He's afraid it's going to get worse, so he's shipping you off to someplace safe, is that it?"

Fred still wouldn't look at them, "he might've said something like that." He muttered, barely louder than a whisper.

Velma's cheeks flushed red, and her hands were clenched into tight fists at her side, "of course he would only evacuate his own son!" She fumed "If its so dangerous then he should have all of us leave! I can't believe that man, he is the most selfish, incompetent, lying little—"

"Velma!" Shaggy shouted over her, pointing to Fred who was now sitting with his head in his hands their table, "like, cool it, would you?"

Velma's eyes widened, "Jinkies!" She groaned, gripping fistfuls of he sweater and biting her lip, "I'm sorry Fred, I don't mean that! I just—"

"No" Fred removed his hands from his face, "you're right. He shouldn't be favoring me." He paused for a moment, tracing a circle with his finger on the plastic of the table. "But he's made up his mind, there's nothing I can say now."

Daphne put a reassuring hand on Fred's shoulder, "When are you leaving Freddie?" She asked.

Fred let out a long exaggerated sigh, "Tomorrow." Said, his eyes locked on his hand, still tracing circled.

"Tomorrow?!" Shaggy jumped with surprise, "like, dude why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"I dunno, I didn't know how to bring it up."

"Are you ever going to come back to us Fred?" Daphne pined, wrapping her armes around his shoulders.

"Well, sure I will!" Fred smiled, "c'mon gang you don't really think I'll leave you forever do you?"

He looked around at all of them again, "I'll be back the second this is over, you'll see! Give it another month as we'll be back to before this whole thing started."

Reassured, they all gathered around Fred for what— unbeknownst to them— would be their last complete group hug.

—

Shaggy couldn't help but laugh, a dry pitiable sound. One month. Fred had said just one month. Shaggy had lost track of the months, and the years for that matter. He shook his head. They had so much hope back then.

Giving up on reading for the day, Shaggy strutted towards the front door. He heard the telltale groans of a zombie hoard, still very much present on the streets of Crystal Cove. He wasn't going anywhere for a while.

He stepped back into the bathroom, blinking twice at the horrible LEDs hanging above him. He stared into the mirror. The scratch on his nose was heeling nicely. Maybe he hadn't been infected. Shaggy let out a sigh. That was a relief. He'd seen how the infection could take over his body when— Shaggy shook his head vigorously, trying to ward the thought from his brain before it could form. He wasn't ready to think about that. Not quite yet.

Shaggy whistled some old familiar tune as he reached for the bathroom doorknob. He yanked it open and felt his whole body relax has he left that fluorescent hell hole. He raised his arms over his head, stretching as a yawn overtook him. He'd ought look into a place to sleep. By the sound of the hoard outside he wouldn't be leaving anytime soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Hey y'all, hope you liked this chapter. If you did (or didn't) let me know by leaving a comment! It helps me to improve my writing and honestly keeps me motivated as well. See you next Tuesday! (Also, as I publish this it’s still technically Monday... but whatever lol)


	4. Rotten - Shaggy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shaggy remembers the day that tore his life apart.

Shaggy had wrapped himself up burrito-style in the Broken Spine’s old paisley rug. But it was more akin to a straight jacket than a cozy blanket. By some miracle Shaggy had managed to find sleep, but it was not at all restful. He thrashed around in his makeshift covers, his face constantly flinching and twitching. For a moment he seemed to be full convulsing. And then he shot up, awake, sputtering for air as his lungs felt like they were imploding. 

Shaggy sat in the darkness, panting desperately for a second. Then he stopped, and took one long breath in, and a quiet shakier breath out. Then another, and another. Soon his heart rate had returned to normal and the pounding in his head had subsided. While he still felt the static twinges of tension in his chest and at the back of his neck, he also felt as if he were back on solid ground. 

Shaggy ran his fingers through his hair as he stood up and stretched. He felt better sure, but he wasn’t quite up for sleeping anymore. So instead he idly ran his hand across the spines of books on the shelves. What was his dream about? All he remembered from it was his parents, the hospital and—

He knew what his dream had been. He swallowed a lump in his throat and pull a book of the shelf at random. Poltergeists and Possessions was the title. He flipped through it, making no real attempt at reading. 

Instead he couldn’t stop thinking about it... that night. Shaggy’s whole frame drooped. He leaned against the bookcase, and reluctantly let his mind wander. 

—————————

It was early September. Shaggy and Velma walked along the sidewalk together. Scooby trailed behind them. They were there admiring the bright amber and deep scarlet leaves the had blanketed their path, but mostly just in an attempt to forget everything that had happened to them. Daphne had left mid August. She didn’t even say goodbye, she just stopped answering the phone and then suddenly the Blake mansion was abandoned. She’d written to them a few times since, but neither Shaggy nor Velma could really bear to open the letters yet.

The cases had gotten worse too, towns all over the state had begun to report hoards of zombies. So far, nobody had survived, or even began to recover from zombification. To be infected was to be sentenced to death. 

So when Velma, Shaggy and Scooby turned the corner, only to see three ambulances parked outside of the Rodger’s home, Shaggy almost collapsed in shock. There was a team about twenty people, all in hazmat suits, escorting Shaggy’s parents each into their own ambulance. 

He looked at Velma for reassurance, but she was no help. Her eyes were wide and brimming with fear. A few of the workers in hazmat suits noticed Shaggy and Velma there on the sidewalk. One of them marched over to the trio, a clipboard in hand. He pointed to Shaggy.

“Are you Norville Rodgers?” The man asked curtly. 

“Like, yeah uh that’s me,” Shaggy somehow managed to stammer, “uh, like, what’s going on here?” 

“This household is suspected of having been infected, we must take you all in for a screening.” The man swung open the door to the third ambulance, “in this way, Norville.” 

Shaggy looked over at Velma once again. His face was drained of any color, “I haven’t been bit!” He whispered so only Velma could hear, “what do I do?” 

“If you haven’t been bit than you should be fine” Velma’s voice was even but her fingers tapped rapidly against her leg, “just go, I’ll take Scooby and meet you at the hospital.” 

“Mr. Rodgers?” The hazmat worker called, this time more with urgency. 

“Yeah, I’m coming,” Shaggy responded, turning his back on Scooby and Velma as he stepped into the ambulance. Three workers all followed after him, and slammed the door. 

Shaggy hated hospitals in the best of times, but as he was escorted into an empty room by the hazmat workers, their steps echoing and mixing with the horrific wails of zombie patients. The stench of rotten flesh wafting through the hallways. Well, he would have taken a vegan steakhouse over being there.

Then, they slammed the door behind them, and left Shaggy all alone with his thoughts. Thoughts which immediately turned to his parents. Were they ok? What would happen if they’d been infected? What would he do? Fend for himself? Or worse, would they ship him off to one of the displacement camps that has sprung up a few miles out of Crystal Cove? Shaggy placed a steadying hand on the wall besides him as his head began to spin. 

He looked around the room, there were a few chairs in one corner and a hospital bed in the other. He opted for a chair, sitting in it stiffly as his fingers tore wildly through his hair. His left knee bounced constantly, faster than a speeding jet. 

Some genius had decided not to put a clock in the room. So when Shaggy finally heard the doorknob turn, he may have been waiting for weeks for,  
all he knew. A slender woman in a long white coat stepped in. She checked her clip board. 

“Norville Rodgers?” She asked.

“Uh yeah,” Shaggy chuckled rubbing his palms together nervously, “but like, call me Shaggy, everyone does.”

“Ok,” she breathed an exhausted sigh, “we’ll start with a physical examination and then from their we’ll decide if you need and blood tests.” 

“Sure,” Shaggy’s whole body was tense, “but like, before we start, do you know anything about my parents?” 

She flipped a few pages over on her clipboard, “Same last name?”

“Yeah” 

The woman scanned her pages until her eyes locked on something. She took a sharp breath, looked up at Shaggy back at her notes and then to Shaggy again, “they both had blood samples sent for testing, should have results by the end of the day.” 

Shaggy’s intestines filled with pins and needles. What did it mean that they had to get their blood tested? Where they going to be ok? Shaggy gnawed at his lip and waited for the doctor to say more, she didn’t. 

“Well, then” she hooked her clipboard to the inside of the door, “let’s get started.” 

The examination was oddly normal. Reflexes, temperature, hight, weight. A few questions about mood, appetite, what have you, and then it was over. 

“Alright Norville,” the doctor proclaimed, holding the door open for him, “you’re good to go.” 

“Like, what about my parents?” Shaggy asked, this time a little more despite. 

“They should still be getting tests. “ the doctor noted something down on her clipboard, “you can wait in the lobby or leave a phone number for the front desk to reach you.” 

As Shaggy walked into the lobby, he looked around for Velma and Scooby. A search that would prove successful as he spotted them, snug in a corner chair. Velma was asleep, her hands folded between her head and the wall. Scooby was curled up in the chair besides her, snoring softly. 

Wringing his hands, Shaggy plodded over to Velma and shook her lightly. 

“Velma?” He whispered urgently, “Velma!” 

The girl began to stir with a groan, she slid her glasses back into place and stretched sleepily. 

“Hey Shaggy,” she yawned, “how’d it go?” 

“Like I’m fine, but I’m worried about my mom and dad.” Shaggy sighed, combining through his hair with nervous twitchy fingers. 

Velma noticed Shaggy’s tense demeanor, and reached up to take his hand off of his head and hold it in hers. She squeezed it tight. 

“Hey,” She smiled warmly, “we’re gonna get through this ok?” 

“Like, Whatever happens?”

“Whatever happens.” 

“Like thanks Velma,” Shaggy smiled wryly, “this is weird, like, you’re not normally all feel-y.” 

“Tell anyone and I’ll smite you, Shaggy Rodgers.” 

“Like, whatever you say Dinkley.” 

The two waited together for the better part of an hour, until finally the same doctor who had examined Shaggy came into view and was headed right for them. Any calm that Velma’s presence had brought immediately evaporated. Shaggy’s leg again began to bounce wildly. As the doctor came up to them, Shaggy could tell that there was something very wrong. 

“Hi again,” the Doctor sighed, sitting down across from Velma and Shaggy, “how have you been?” 

“Like, forget that!” Shaggy squeaked, “how are my parents?” 

The doctor clutched her clipboard so tight that her knuckles turned white.  
“Well sir, I’m sorry to have to be the one to tell you, but both your mother and father have been bitten.” 

Shaggy felt as if every nerve in his body was being stabbed by a million daggers. The world went out of focus and everything suddenly sounded as if he was floating underwater. Then he saw something: Velma’s hand outstretched to him. He took it and managed to clear his head just enough to ask one thing. 

“Can I.... like... see them?” 

The doctor shook her head no, plunging Shaggy back down into shock before he could listen to her explanation. Everything was indistinguishable. There was somebody calling his name but he couldn’t quite make it out.

The next thing he remembered, he was wrapped in a thick fleece blanket on the Dinkley’s family-room couch. There was a sandwich stacked seven inches thick on a white porcelain plate on the table in front of him. Along with it was an orange post-it note that read: Take whatever you want from the kitchen. Wake me up if you need ANYTHING. -Velma. 

Anything huh? Shaggy looked over at Scooby who was sleeping restlessly in a leather recliner to his left. Somebody to talk to would be nice. That fell under the “anything” category, right?

Shaggy crept up the stairs of the Dinkley house and quietly swung open Velma’s door, expecting her to be asleep. Instead he found her typing in a fury. Her face washed in the blue light of her computer screen. She was muttering to herself, just loudly enough that Shaggy could hear it. 

“I can’t believe them! Honestly one goddamn time they oughtta— oh, hey Shaggy!” Velma hastily closed her laptop and stood up to greet her friend, still standing nervously in the doorway, “couldn’t sleep?” 

Shaggy shrugged, “I dunno man, I like, don’t wanna be alone right now is all.” 

“Gotcha,” Velma nodded as the two plodded down the stairs. 

When the two had gotten down there Scooby had woken up. 

“Rere rou raare Raggy!” He panted, “I rwas retting rorried.” 

“Like, morning Scoob,” Shaggy waved as he flopped onto the couch. Velma settled in on the other side of the sofa, crossing her legs and reaching for the remote control. 

“We could check the horror channel to see if there’s any Vincent Van Ghoul movies on,” Velma suggested in a half whisper. 

“Like, actually Velma, do you think we could just talk?” 

“Sure, what about?” 

They both sat in silence for a moment, Shaggy swinging his legs limply and Velma drumming her fingers on the armrest of the couch. 

“Man, do you think things are gonna go back to normal? Shaggy sighed after a second.

Velma hummed pensively, “do you want my honest answer?” 

“Uh, yeah, like I guess so.” 

“Then no.” Velma slouched, “things might better, they might get worse, but I don’t think they’ll go back to normal.” 

“Like, I was afraid of that.” 

“But who knows?” Velma asked with a shaker breath, “maybe I’ll be wrong.”

“Yeah, man, maybe.”

Shaggy leaned back, staring up at the ceiling. He ran his fingers through his hair. He looked over at Scooby who was happily snacking away at the sandwich Velma had left him. 

“Man, it feels like everything changed so quickly,” Shaggy sighed, “First Freddy and Daph just up and leave Crystal Cove. And then my parents just—“ The words caught his throat. He turned to look at Velma, smiling sadly, “at least I still have you.” 

Velma tensed. She bunched her sweater into her fists and looked away, “yeah...” she whispered, “yeah... you still have me.”

Shaggy raised an eyebrow, “like, Velma, what’s wrong dude?” 

Velma rubbed her temples, her posture collapsing in on itself, “I wanted to wait a bit to tell you...” 

Shaggy practically deflated, “dude, just say it. This day can’t get any worse.” 

“My parents decided to leave Crystal Cove.” 

Shaggy had been wrong, that day had very much gotten worse. 

“Like, why?” 

Velma shook her head, her eyes shone as tears loomed dangerously close to spilling onto her face, “They said something about... your parents... how it was a wake-up call.” She sniffed, trying to regain their composure, “I tried to change their minds but they’re not going to listen.” 

Shaggy’s hands shook, total system overload. He didn’t say anything, didn’t move. Tears poured from his face. In few days time, Velma — the last remaining shred of normalcy— would be leaving. And he and Scooby would be all alone to fend for themselves in the rapidly decaying Crystal Cove. 

Maybe it was the exhaustion, maybe it was shock, but as the wave of reality washed over him, Shaggy began to feel lightheaded. Daphne, Fred, His Parents and Velma, all gone. Shaggy took a few uneven gasps for air, before his vision went out of focus and he passed out.

—————————

Shaggy pushed himself away from the bookshelf he’d been leaning on. Wiping tears from his face with on rough gesture. He looked around the Broken Spine and sighed. He’d been stupid to come here. All of the memories were too much for him to deal with. But he always came back again and again, like a moth to a flame.

He could still hear the zombies wailing outside. He could still smell their stench too. But it didn’t matter to Shaggy. He was too overwhelmed, he just needed to get out of there, He carefully slid three books on zombies from their places on the shelves. Silently promising to return them as soon as possible. 

He had what he came for. He cringed at the thought of taking the book as he made his way towards the stairwell, he would scout a route from the roof of the Broken Spine, and with luck make it back to his hideout before night fell once again. 

As he reached the door to the stair way, he turned back. For one last goodbye. It wasn’t goodbye. He’d be back, but just like every other time he went into town, he managed to delude himself into thinking he was finally done with Crystal Cove. 

But how could he be? The town was all he had left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoa! Long chapter. Hope you all enjoyed it. If you did leave a comment and let me know. Also, be sure to tune in next Tuesday. I have a surprise planned! :-) but until then, hope you have a great week.


	5. Sanctuary - Velma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We finally see where exactly the rest of the gang ended up.

Velma had never quite gotten used to the weather on the East Coast. She hated how the winter chill seeped inside her home, and lingered in her fingers and toes no matter how long she spent warming them by the radiator. She’d never quite gotten used to the city she’d moved to either. There was a distinct lack of criminals dressed as horrible monsters. In other words, a distinct lack of mysteries in need of solving. 

There was also the issue of being surrounded by towering steel walls on all sides, that was also odd. 

Velma slid her glasses up her nose and stared out the window, watching as snow finer than powder gently floated down to earth. In three years, zombie hoards had taken over the world. Industry and government collapsed, and took humanity with it. Except for about 50,000 people across the world. Taking refuge in small towns, encampments, and one or two larger cities, all that had been surrounded by steel and locked down.   
They were called Sanctuaries. And there were only about twenty around the world. Just five in North America. Humanity existed only in small pockets on what had become an alien planet. In three years the world had fallen apart. 

But when something falls apart, scattered pieces still remain. Velma was still in touch with Daphne and Fred. They lived together now, in a quaint house on the Great Lakes. Sanctuary 3 if she remembered correctly. Velma still spoke with them once and a while. But the rest of her old life was still in the west. Once or twice, she had half contemplated scaling the wall and running back home. It wouldn’t be an issue, If you wanted to leave a sanctuary you were welcome to. But myriads of guards, armed at the teeth, made it impossible to get back in. 

Not that it mattered anyways. Her past was just that... the past. And that’s where it should remain. But when it came to her future, there was much left to be desired. 

Velma had tried her hardest to make something new for herself. She had cycled through a few boyfriends and a girlfriend or two, in her senior year, and gotten some busywork job at a nearby medical facility inside her sanctuary. But no matter what she did, something nagged at her. 

Shaggy. 

She did her best to shoo his memory away into the shadows of her consciousness. But in spite of her best efforts she thought about him every day.

Velma stood up from the only window in her apartment and towards the corner of the space she’d designated as a tiny kitchen. In reality, it was a mini-fridge, a single heating plate, and a large plastic bin to hold her mismatched flatware and cooking utensils. But still it was hers. Hoping some tea would ward off the-ever present chill, Velma dug a small pot out of the plastic bin and the last teabag in the box. She flicked on the heating plate and left it to warm as she took the pot to the bathroom to fill it. 

As she did, she couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to Shaggy and Scooby. As hard as she tried to stop fixating on her past, she often couldn’t help herself. By all accounts, there were sightings of survivors outside the sanctuaries; it stirred great political tension over whether or not they were to be welcomed into their fledgling society. So it wasn’t impossible that Shaggy was still alive. But as the years wore on, survivor sightings became few and far between. Velma wanted to hope that Shaggy had somehow survived all that time and was on his way to a sanctuary that very moment. 

But realistically, she knew he was probably still in Crystal Cove, his unusually large appetite focused on human flesh. 

Velma gnawed at her lip, her stomach doing backflips at the thought of Shaggy back in Crystal Cove. As her water began to simmer, Velma hastily cooked up some lie to find comfort in. Shaggy was in a sanctuary somewhere, she placated, He had probably just forgotten her email address, and phone number, and the new home address she’d written down for him. She’d track him down eventually. 

Velma might’ve been a good liar, but not good enough to fool herself. 

She held her fresh mug of tea up her her face, letting the steam fog up her glasses as she felt the warmth on her skin. She took a sip, flinching a little as the scalding drink flowed down her throat. She turned to check the clock. In was almost midnight. With a sigh it occurred to Velma that the mug of tea she had just made herself was laden with caffeine. 

She paused for a moment then shrugged it off. She wasn’t about to let her last teabag go to waste. Besides it didn’t really matter. She didn’t have anything to do tomorrow. So with another swig of her tea, Velma sauntered over to her TV. It was an old boxy thing, with antennas poking out of the top of it. It was perched on an overturned milk crate in a different corner of her cramped apartment. Flopping down onto her worn Lazy Boy, which also served as her bed, Velma flicked through channels. Nobody was writing anything new for TV. The resources were too scarce for that. So she had the choice between re-runs or the one news source that broadcast far enough to reach Sanctuary 18: STVN.

RomCom? Boring, Talk Show, bleh. News? Not worth her—

Something caught Velma’s eye. She flipped back to the news channel. The headline read: Exclusive Look Inside Ground 0 of the Zombie Outbreak. Velma held her breath. Crystal Cove was ground zero! She cranked up the volume and listened intently as the field reporter in a clunky hazmat suit walked up what looked to Velma like Main Street, or at least what’s left of it. 

Velma sucked in a breath. The place looked more decrepit than ancient ruins. The spire of City Hall looked warped and sad in the background of the broadcast. And then as the reporter stepped closer, something familiar came into view: The Mystery Machine!

Velma stared wistfully as that old teal van. It’s paint was peeling and it’s tires we flat as pancakes. Poor thing looked almost pitiable. Velma’s fingers tap tap tap taped on the arm of her chair as she began to pay attention to what the reporter on screen was saying.

...Even before the zombie outbreak, Crystal Cove had a strange history with the paranormal, He narrated in a perfect non-regional accent, A significant part of the towns economy was tourism, biased around these urban legends. Tonight we are going to visit what remains of one of these such tourist attractions in hopes of getting a better understanding of Crystal Cove’s haunted past. But before that we have a quick commercial break, don’t go anywhere!

As the triumphant theme song of the STVN broadcast blared, Velma wend to grab her laptop, then flopped back down on the Lazy Boy. She opened her email and clicked the “compose new” button. 

Biting at a bit of peeling skin on her lip, Velma began to type. 

Dear Daphne, 

I hope you and Freddie are having a great winter. I know you always loved the snow so I hope one of us is enjoying this blizzard—

But that was as far as Velma got before the ad break came to an end and the theme of the news blared once again. 

And welcome back! The hazmat reporter chimed, to our exclusive coverage of Crystal Cove. Tonight we are standing in front of the Broken Spine, one of the most important tourist destinations for the economy of Crystal Cove. 

Velma scoffed, her family wished they’d been even close to being a big part of the economy. But she couldn’t complain. As the news anchor swung the door to the Broken Spine, Velma perked up, curious to see how her family’s old shop had been doing. Much to Velma’s shock, the place looked almost perfect. Almost except for—

“What happened to the zombie section?” Velma wondered aloud as she adjusted her glasses. She pressed pause and practically smooshed her face up against the TV screen. Scrutinizing the pixelated image that made up a bookcase in the background. There were three books missing: An Anthology of European Literature on Zombies, Zombies as seen by Theoretical Science, and, Surviving Zombies for Dummies. 

Velma paused for a second. It was odd for three books to have been missing when the rest of the shop was in such good condition. Somebody must have taken them. Then she unpaused the feed. There was an odd flutter of hope in Velma’s chest. It was premature at best but there all the same. So as Velmas eyes landed on the spot where a glass jar of biscotti had once (but now no longer) stood, one stupid thought pierced her mind. 

Could Shaggy have been alive?

Who else would think to go to the Broken Spine to learn about zombies? Who else would have any reason to keep the place in such pristine condition? And who else would take a jar of biscotti that by that point must have been as hard as a rock?

Velma swallowed the dry lump in her throat and fervently tamped down the hopeful feeling rising in her chest. If Shaggy was still in Crystal Cove, he was dead. Velma knew that. She knew that. She took her glasses off and put them carelessly on the recliner armrest. She rubbed her temples trying to ward off the sharp ache raising in her head. 

“This is stupid, Velma,” she chided herself aloud, “just think rationally.” 

Rationality had abandoned her. In her emotional haze she grabbed her laptop. She hurriedly finished typing her email to Daphne, and then made her way to a travel website.

Ten minutes later, Velma was in her kitchen, her fists bunching her sweater. Was she really going to do this? Her laptop rang out, Daphne had responded. 

Hey Velma! Daphne wrote, Freddie and I would love to have you over this weekend! I talked to a friend of mine who works for the ISTC, (Inter-sanctuary travel commission) and they managed to get you a travel permit same-day! Let us know if you need a pickup from the Helipad! 

Love from Sanctuary 3,  
Daphne 

Velma let go of her sweater nodding to herself. She took a few unsteady breaths. Yeah. She was doing this. 

Velma was going back to Crystal Cove. But first, she needed her friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! We finally got a glimpse into the rest of the gang. Please let me know what you think about it in the comments. Have a great week!


	6. Sanctuary 3 - Velma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Velma finally reunites with her old friends.

As the helicopter flew over Sanctuary 3, Velma felt immediately like she was out of her depths. Sanctuary 3 was the biggest and wealthiest of any sanctuary in the world, home to 10,000 people, it stretched for miles. Velma peered down into he streets, she could almost believe that she was flying above a suburban neighborhood. She clutched the backpack she’d brought along with her. Having been born and raised in a town that only owned one airplane, flying was not something she was accustomed to. 

As the helicopter hovered a few hundred feet above the helipad, Velma felt a jolt of nerves in her gut. Three years since she’d seen Daphne and Fred. Three years since she’d even been in the same state as them. How much could three years change a person? 

Velma stepped out of the helicopter tentatively. She wobbled, readjusting to solid ground. When she finally had her bearings, she slung her backpack over her shoulders and moved off the landing cite in an odd, stiff-legged speed walk. She continued in this teetering stride until she reached the terminal, searching the crowd for a familiar shade of blonde or an orange ascot. And then, she spotted him, 

Fred hadn’t seen her yet. He was looking idly in the opposite direction, swaying slightly. He wore a long thick wool coat that, by Velma’s estimation, was worth more than she payed for rent. She reached up, hand still quivering slightly, and tapped Fred on the shoulder. 

Fred jumped, snapping out of his thoughts and turned to see who was standing behind him. 

When his gaze landed on her, he paused, “Velma?” 

She looked up at him, an endeared annoyance displayed on her face, “who else Fred?” 

“Gosh! I almost didn’t recognize you. Your hair has gotten so long!” 

Velma ran a hand over her hair, which now just brushed the tops of her shoulders. She hadn’t noticed the extra length. She ought to ask Daphne to teach her how to style it. 

“Yeah well, it’s been a long time,” she smiled timidly up at him, “How have you been?” 

“Good!” Fred wrapped his coat more tightly around his frame, “Lets head to the car, I don’t know about you but I’m am freezing!” 

Velma bit her lip. A car. Now that was a status symbol. It was a fortune to import from outside the sanctuaries, even more so to have one custom made. As she trailed behind Fred, she felt the same uneasy jitters wash over her. 

Fred led Velma to powder blue station wagon, she eyed a bumper sticker with a familiar orange flowers and font. It read simply Mystery. Velma grinned at the homage, while silently marveling at the automobile. It was one thing to have a car, but another to have one that screamed stylish for the world to hear. Velma hopped into the second row of the car, and settled herself in. Fred chucked as he slid his keys into the ignition, “you don’t have to do that anymore Velma. You can sit up front you want.” 

“Nah,” Velma waved her hand dismissively, “this just feels right.” 

Fred threw his head back, laughing heartily, “oh, I sure did miss you Velma.” 

As Fred drove along the highway, he and Velma swapped small talk. They talked about their last year of high schools, their work, and the serious need for somebody to write something new for TV. But as they talked they found themselves carefully dancing around any mention of the past. Any mention of their school days together was merely reduced to quick “back then” or “when we were young.” It was if neither of them dared to cross that line, in fear of how the other would react. 

On their way, Velma noticed posters tacked up to walls and covering signposts. DOWN WITH THE WALLS One read. A second, larger one said WELCOME THE SURVIVORS. And finally, there was one that simply read THEY ARE STILL OUT THERE. 

Velma gulped down a lump in her throat, “there sure is a lot of...” Velma stared at the bright posters plastered all over the walls, searching for a polite way of saying what she wanted, “...political discussion... around here.” 

Fred glanced over, “oh yeah,” he chuckled awkwardly, “Daph and I aren’t big into politics. I got enough of them from my dad and Daph talks about them all day for work so we stay away mostly.” 

Velma bit her lip, muttering some vague agreement. After that they went back to their amicable chit-chat. The conversation shallow all the way.

When Fred finally pulled into the driveway, Velma marveled at the house before her. It was a neat single family home with shy blue vinyl siding, but the thing that took her breath away, was where exactly the house was. Perched practically on the shore of Lake Eerie. 

“Jinkies!” Velma laughed, “when Daphne said on the shore, she meant it.” 

Fred didn’t get a chance to answer as Daphne made herself visible in the front doorway. 

“Velma!” She exclaimed, reaching her arms out for a hug, “it’s been forever! How are you?” 

“Pretty good Daph, how are you?” 

“Oh I’m doing great! Especially since the weathers finally cooled down.” 

“You mean absolutely frigid!” Fred quipped as he carried Velma’s backpack inside, “now come on in you two, before we let all the warm air out of the house.” 

—————————

Dinner was served at 7:00, on a fine cherrywood table set for four people, but only seating three. Velma couldn’t help but look at that empty chair and feel her nerves waver. Since she arrived, she’d been in the same dance. The three of them just barely skirting on what had happened to them or where they came from. 

Velma stirred her steak and veggie stew, half listening as Daphne went on and on about her new job as a news anchor for a local station. One that Velma had never even heard of.

“Oh, you know” She chatted away happily, “it’s a fun job, read the weather, talk about local elections, the whole nine yards.” 

“Yeah,” Velma smiled, perhaps a bit too wildly, “sounds incredible Daph.” 

“Oh, you know,” Daphne waved her hand, “it’s a living. But that’s enough about me! We’ve hardly heard about you all night Velm! Where are you living nowadays?” 

Velma speared a piece of carrot on her fork. She looked past Daphne and shrugged, “oh you know, good ol’ 18.” 

Velma saw the confusion play our in Daphne’s eyes, “Sanctuary 18? How is it there?” 

Velma slouched. She knew that Daphne knew what Sanctuary 18 was like, that was where they’d all fled to when everything went crazy. It had been a poor shanty town back then. It still was, the only difference was now it had cable TV and a few grocery stores. 

But Velma couldn’t say all that, so instead, she dodged, “oh it’s still just 18.” She forced a small chuckle, “hey, y’know speaking of the news, just yesterday I saw on STVN a reporter who was exploring the remains of Crystal Cove.” 

With those two words, Velma had avoided an awkward subject and broken a dam. She noticed Fred’s eyes flit quickly to the empty chair, then back to Velma. The overly saccharine tone of the conversation completely dissolved, and they all breathed a sigh of relief. 

“How did it look?” Daphne asked, as she wound a corkscrew into the top of a bottle of wine, “Pinot Noir anyone?” 

“No thanks Daph, I’m don’t turn twenty-one for another month or so.” Velma tapped her fingers against the cherrywood table, “and as for Crystal Cove? It looked... well it didn’t look good.” 

Velma drew a long sigh, “Honestly the place was falling apart... and that’s why I asked to come. I saw it and I just thought about...” She trailed off, side eyeing that damned empty chair at the head of the table. She wasn’t quite ready to tell them everything, not just yet. “I just thought it be nice to see you all again.” 

—————————

Night had fallen on the lakefront, but Velma couldn’t sleep. Instead she found herself sitting on a dock only a few yards from her host’s house. She dangled her feet into the icy cold water and gnawed at her chapping bottom lip. If she squinted out into the fog, she could see the glimmer of the steel wall, looming just on her other side of the lake. 

What was she doing here? How could she possibly ask her two closest friends to uproot their lives just so she could chase some one-in-a-million fantasy? She shouldn’t have—The noise of delicate footsteps interrupted Velma’s train of thought. 

“Hey Daph,” Velma smiled. 

“Hey,” the redhead half-whispered as she kicked off her slippers and joined Velma in soaking her feet, “it’s late, are you having trouble Sleeping?” 

“No,” Velma sighed, flicking her big toe up so it sent droplets dancing across the surface, “I just can’t stop thinking about...” 

Daphne raised an eyebrow, “about?” 

Velma slouched in on herself, “about Shaggy.”

Daphne took a sharp breath in, “yeah... do you know what happened to him exactly? I figured he didn’t make it to a sanctuary before the lockdown, but, was he infected or—“ Daphne cut herself off, noticing the tears beading at the corners of Velma’s eyes. She grabbed her friends fidgety hand, squeezing it tight. 

“Tell me.” 

Velma gripped the edge of the dock with her free hand, her knuckles white like snow, “I abandoned him there. Half the town were zombies at that point... his parents had just— you know... and when we moved East we didn’t take him with us.” 

Daphne took her sleeve and wiped a tear from Velma’s check, as Velma went on. 

“I asked him if he wanted to come with us... he said no. Something about Crystal Cove being his home. But I was stupid to leave him there right? He was grieving of course he was going to want to stay... and I couldn’t even be there to help him through that! I just—“

She squeezed Daphne’s hand, the words catching in her throat, “I left him behind.” 

Velma set her glasses down on the dock as she hastily wiped tears from her eyes, “he’s been out there for three years, with with those— things...so logically... I know he’s gone...” 

“But?” Daphne prodded, watching as Velma’s expression wavered for a moment. 

“But there’s this ridiculous part of me...” Velma explained through shallow breathing, “That thinks that if we—I— go back, I’ll find him there. And then...” Velma shook her head, trying her best no to devolve into ugly crying, “And then I can apologize... for leaving him behind, and maybe for a moment, we can have our old life back.”

Daphne wrapped her arm around Velma, hugging her tightly. Velma managed to get control of her lungs and gulped down the cool air to the night to calm down. 

“That’s why I came here,” Velma whispered, “I’m going back. Even if I don’t find him... maybe I’ll find closure.” She turned away from Daphne, red shame rising in her cheeks, “and I was hoping that you two would come with me... but now I’m here and you have a beautiful life, I can’t just ask you to...” 

“To leave our lives behind?”

Velma nodded.

The two sat silently for a few paralyzing minutes, Velma watching the stars and searching for familiar constellations, Daphne lost in a deep contemplative thought. 

Finally, Daphne broke their silence, “is sure would be nice to see Crystal Cove again... I feel like I never really got to say goodbye,” she paused, looking down at Velma, “if I was willing to go with you... how would we get back in? The lockdown policy is nowhere near being lifted.”

Velma sniffed, shock and gratitude played across her features, which then turned to dread, “I’m going to try to find a way,” She bit her lip as she looked up at Daphne, “but there’s a very real chance that when I leave, I don’t come back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think and I can improve anything. It really helps me out.
> 
> See you next week!


End file.
